American Colonists vs.
British Policymakers 1763-1776
American Colonists vs. British Policymakers 1763-1776
Great Britain's victory in the "French and Indian War" (1689 -- 1763) gained new territory west of the Appalachian Mountains for the Empire but also saddled It with enormous war debt (The Independence Hall Association, 2011) in addition to Its existing debts. Great Britain's national debt had grown "from £72,289,673 in 1755 to £129,586,789 in 1764" (The Independence Hall Association, 2011), and British citizens were already so heavily taxed that the government faced the possibility of revolt. Consequently, Great Britain looked for revenue from American colonists, as loyal British citizens. Great Britain's attempts to control American colonists' settlement of the new territory, to exert power over the colonists as British subjects, and to gain revenue from American colonists to ease British debts all heightened tensions between the colonies and Great Britain. Great Britain's attempts, in a series of Acts from 1763 to 1776 and created/spearheaded by the First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord George Grenville, were met with considerable resentment and resistance by the American colonists, eventually exploding into the American Revolution.
2. Proclamation Act of 1763
The American colonists believed the newly-won territory west of the Appalachian Mountains was theirs for the taking/settling because they had fought in the French and Indian War as loyal British subjects. However, the western expansion of colonists brought them in direct conflict with Native American tribes already residing in that territory. In order to avoid clashes between western-moving American colonists and Native Americans, Great Britain passed the Proclamation Act of 1763, fixing a western boundary beyond which colonists could not settle. The colonists' sense of entitlement about setting the territory vs. The British attempt to curtail it increased the tension between them (WCUSD15.org; The Independence Hall Association, 2011).
3. Sugar Act of 1764
In 1764, the Molasses Act of 1733 was about to expire, so Great Britain passed the Sugar Act of 1764. The Molasses Act had been difficult to enforce, so the Sugar Act reduced but more strictly enforced the tax on molasses importation, extended the tax to cover "sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, cambric and printed calico" and increased regulations on lumber and iron exportation. The Act almost immediately caused the colonies' rum industry to decline and otherwise significantly harmed the colonies' economy by reducing their markets and the amount of currency. The colonists were so angered by this Act and Great Britain was so determined to enforce the Act that tension was further heightened and eventually contributed to the colonists' revolt (WCUSD15.org; The Independence Hall Association, 2011).
4. Stamp Act of 1765
Another attempt to control the colonies and raise revenue, this time solely to support British troops in the colonies, the Stamp Act was the first direct tax imposed by Great Britain on the American colonies and it affected all American colonists. According to the Act, stamped paper had to be used for "legal documents, diplomas, almanacs, broadsides, newspapers and playing cards" (U-S-History.com) because the stamp proved that the tax on those items was paid. Due to the Acts widespread effect and the already-tense relations with Great Britain, colonists boycotted the taxed items and Great Britain was forced to repeal it in 1766 (The Independence Hall Association, 2011).
5. Quartering Act of 1765
After the French and Indian War, Great Britain built up troop strength in the colonies, reportedly to protect American colonists, and passed the Quartering Act to make colonists pay for protection. The Act required each colony to provide such basic necessities as "bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, beer or cider and candles" (U-S-History.com) to the soldiers protecting that colony. In 1766, the law extended the colonies' duties to housing solders "in taverns and unoccupied houses" (U-S-History.com). Parliament saw this as a logical assumption of the burden by colonists and a way to ease the burden on already heavily-taxed British citizens. American colonists strongly opposed this...
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